Dry-cleaning plant



y 1930- I w B: JENNINGS 1,770,236

DRY CLEANING PLANT Filed Nov. 18, 1926 Patented July 8, 1930 UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM 3. JENNINGS, MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB TO IDEAL FILTER 00.,

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, CORPORATION OF MISSOURI DRY-CLEANING PLANT Application filed November 18, 1926. Serial No. 149,099.

The object of my device is to make a dry cleaning plant. The plant finds particular applicationwhere garments, draperies, etc.',

to be cleaned are to be cleaned by the applica-.

tion of media other than water, particularly where carbon tetrachloride, etc., are used. I. prefer the use of an organic non-inflammable solvent. A further object is to devise a dry cleaning plant in vwhich the clothes are washed, wrung and positively, dried and in which the solvent used for cleaning is reclaimed and cleaned and stored. A further object is todevice a washing element as a partof a dry cleaning plant in which the articles to be cleaned may be easily inserted and removed and in WhlCh the contact between the-container for the clothes and the clothes and the solvent is made mechanically .by a rotation of the container when partially emersed in thesolvent. A-further object is to so device the washing element that it may be used as a centrifugaldryer and rinser and positive dryer. A further object is to connect the closed container to a source of power through means that permit the rotation of the container in both a horizontal and vertical plane and so designed that the containermay be moved from one'position to the other manually and quickly. A further object is to so construct the closed container that inthe drying operation the clothes will be tumbled in the container as the container rotates. A stillfurther object-is to devise a reclaiming element into which the dirtysolvent may be conducted and in which it may be cleaned and conducted into a storage tank from which it may be returned to the washingelement when occasion for the return requires it. A further objeotis to so construct the reclaiming element that the dirty solvent will be cleaned. in its gravitational progress through the re- ,tures of construction and arrangement of tion and lends itself readily to multiple production.

With these and other objects in View, my invention has relation to certain novel feaparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claim and illustrated in the drawing in which the single figure is a sectional elevation of my device.

Numeral 1 designates the washing, drying and wringing element generally, numeral 2 the reclaiming element generally, numeral 3 the storage tank and numeral 5 the condenser. The washing, drying and wringing element 1 consists of a cylindrical tank 6 having the bottom 7 .and supported on the legs 8. Numeral 9 designates a cover which is secured on the top of the cylindrical tank 6 by means of the winged bolts 10. Numeral llde'signates a circular opening in the cover 9 which 70 is likewise covered by means of the lid 12, which is secured to the sides of the circular opening 11 by the winged bolts 13. Numeral 14 designates a steam pipe coil which is mounted in the cylindrical tank 6 adjacent its lateral wall. In order to heat the interior of the cylidrical tank 6, steam may be admitted'into the steam coil pipe 14 at 15 and the condensed steam may be drawn off at any convenient point. Mounted within the cylindrical tank 6 on the bottom 7 centrally is the cylindrical pedestal 16. Numeral 17 designates a perforated bask-efiwhich is the container. for the clothes that are to be cleaned. The entire lateral surface of the basket 17 is perforated, the top is open. Centrally located on the bottom of the perforated basket 17 is positioned the stud 18. Numeral 19 designates a shaft passing through the cylindrical pedestal 16 and numeral 20 designates 90 a second shaft passing through the cylindrithe free end of the clutch 25 is secured the shaft 26 on which are secured two beveled gears 27 and 28. The bevel-ed gear 28 is in mesh with the beveled gear 21 and the beveled gear 27 is in mesh with the beveled gear 22. Since the beveled gears 27 and 28 are of different diameters when the motor 23 is actuated and the clutch 25 placed in operative position, the shafts 19 and 20 will be rotated at different speeds. In the operation of my device it becomes necessary to rotate the perforated basket 17 at a high speed when in a horizontal plane and at a relatively low speed when in a vertical plane. When the stud 18 is brought into engagement with the shaft 19, it rotates in a horizontal plane at a high rate of speed. when the stud 18 is brought into engagement by means to be presently explained, with the second shaft 20, the basket 17 is rotated in a vertical plane and at a low rate of speed. The vertical speed is approximately 28 revolutions per minute and the hor izontal speed is about 550 revolutions a minute.

In order to selectively connect the perforated basket 17 through the stud 18 With the shaft 19, the following method is used. The lower end of the stud 18 is contracted to form a male projection 29. The upper end of the shaft 19 has a depression 30 formed therein. The cross sectional shape of the male projection 29 and of the depression 30 is the same and the sizes are such that the male projection 29 may be placed in engagement frictionally in the depression 30. \Vhen this connection is established, the perforated backet 18 is connected so that the rotation of the armature shaft 24 of the motor 23 will rotate it as previously explained. On the upper end of the second shaft 20 is keyed the beveled gear 31. Numeral 32 designates a collar that is secured to the cylindrical pedestal 16 at the angle indicated in the drawing. Numeral 33 designates a shaft passing through the collar 32 and having the beveled gear 34 keyed at its one end and in mesh with the beveled gear 31. The free end of the shaft 33 is shaped as is the free or upper end of the shaft 19. It will be seen therefore that the perforated basket 17 may be disengaged from the shaft 19 by lifting it a short distance. When it is desirous to place the stud 18 in engagement so that it will be rotated by the second shaft 20, it is positioned in the collar 32 in engagement with the depression at the free end of the shaft 33. Numeral 35 designates a pipe extending into the bottom 7 of the cylindrical tank 6. This pipe 35 is in fluid communication with the T -36, which T is in fluid communication with pipes 37 and 38. Valves are positioned in pipes 37 and 38 as shown in the drawing.

The storage tank 3 consists of a cylindrical tank mounted on the legs 39. The re-claiming element 2 is formed by placing the partition or floor 40 therein, thereby dividing the tank into two portions, the lower being the storage tank and the upper being the re-claiming element. The storage tank and re-claiming element are so positioned as to be elevated above the cylindrical tank 6. The fluid from the storage tank 3 may be conducted to the top of the cylindrical tank 6 by means of the faucet 41. Numeral 42 designates a motor and 43 a pump. The motor 42 and the pump 43 are in operative connection. The pump 43 is placed in fluid communication with the top of the reclaiming element 2 by means of the pipe 44. The pump 43 is connected with the pipe 38, thereby placing it in fluid communication with the cylindrical tank 6. The condcnser 5 consists of a cylindrical tank having a coil 44 therein. The one end of the coil 44 is connected to the pipe 37, thereby placing it in fluid communication with the cylindrical tank 6. The other end of the coil 44 leads to a pan by means of the pipe 45. Numeral 46 designates a pipe establishing fluid communication between the source of a cooling medium such as water. The cooling medium passes from the condenser 5 through the pipe 47. Numeral 48 designates a filter generally, which filter consists of a cylindrical tank 49 connected to the reclaiming element 2 so as to establish fluid communication by means of the pipe 50. The pipe 50 is positioned near the bottom of the reclaiming element 2 and passes into the cylindrical tank 49 at its bottom. The upper portion of the filter 48 is connected by the pipe 51 to the upper portion of the storage tank 3. The filter con sists of straining mediums 52 secured in the cylindrical tank 49 to the lateral surface. It will be seen that the static pressure of the liquid in the reclaiming element 2 will force the liquid upward through the filter 48, through the straining mediums 52 and through the pipe 51 into the storage tank 3. Numeral 53 designates a. perforated spreader plate secured in the reclaiming element 2 near its top. Numeral 54 designates the reclaiming agent such as caustic soda which is a liquid. Numeral 55 designates cleats formed on the inner surface of the perforated basket 17. These cleats pass from the top to the bottom of the perforated basket 17 Numeral 56 designates a lid selectively secured to the top of the perforated basket 17.

The operation of my device is as follows. The cylindrical tank 6 is partially filled with the solvent used as a cleaner by means of the faucet 41 conducting the solvent from the storage tank 3. The clothes arethen placed in the perforated basket 17 and the basket placed so as to rotate in a vertical plane. The basket is rotated until the clothes are thoroughly washed, which requires a period of time that is easily determined. This result is obtained in a few.minutes. During this operation the valves in the pipes 37 and 38 are of course, closed. When the washing operation is completed, the valve in the pipe 38 is opened and the motor 42 started. The pump 43 then pumps the dirty solvent through the pipe 44 into the reclaiming element 2. The solvent must now pass through the caustic soda solution. The perforated spreader plate 53 forces the dirty solvent to spread over the that reason the filter 48 is provided. The solvent passes through the pipe 50 through the straining mediums 52 and the pipe 51 into the storage tank 3. The cylindrical tank I 6 is again filled with clean solvent from the faucet 41 and the basket 17 again rotated in the vertical plane, thereby rinsing the clothes.

- By means of the cleats 55, the clothes are held the horizontal position and the rotation confor a portion of the rotation of the perforated basket, that is to say, they are lifted until they reach a height approximately three-fourths of the distance from the bottom, when they are dropped to the bottom or other surface of the perforated basket 17. After the rinsing operation is completed, the valve in the pipe 38 is opened, the pump 43-again actuated and the solvent pumped into the reclaiming element 2, Where it again passes through the filter 48 into the storage tank 3.

The perforated basket 17 is then brought to the vertical position where it is rapidly rotated and the solvent forced out of the clothes through the perforations in the lateral surface 'of the perforated basket 17 by means of the centrifugal force. After this process is completed, the valve in the pipe 38 is opened, the pump 43'again actuated and the solvent pumped into the reclaiming element 2, where it again passes through the, filter 48 into the storage tank 3. The perforated basket 17 is then brought to tinued. During this operation the steam is permitted to pass through the steam pipe coil 14 so that the, interior of the cylindrical tank '6 is heated during this operation, facilitating the drying of the clothes. The vapor from the solvent is conducted through the pipe 37 by opening the valve in said pipe into the condenser 5 where-the vapor is condensed and dumped into the reclaiming element 2, from which point it travels as did the solvent in the previous operations.

What I claim and means ters Patent is:

A. reclaiming element comprising a tank to secure by Letand a perforated s reader plate, said plate secured in said tan said tank containing a fluid filtering agent having a specific gravity less than that of the dirty liquid to be cleaned and means of admitting dirty liquid to the top of said tank above said spreader-plate and on to the filtering material contained in said tank, and means of withdrawing the cleaned liquid from the bottom of said tank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature;

WILLIAM B. JENNINGS. 

